


Sacrifice (Loki x OC)

by OrganizedChaos666



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Control, F/M, Fanfiction, Fluff, Mind Control, Some Fluff, mind
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-26
Updated: 2018-02-09
Packaged: 2018-12-19 23:45:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 15,182
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11908725
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OrganizedChaos666/pseuds/OrganizedChaos666
Summary: Goes along with the theory that Loki was being partially controlled by Thanos during the Avengers.Anna is a partial mortal who was gifted with telekineses, telepathy, and the ability to teleport. When Loki is captured by the Avengers, she notices that something is different about him and decides to find a way to help, no matter the cost. With little concern for her own life, Anna will risk everything she has to protect those she cares about. After all, she is half human.





	1. It's Not Him

"Anna, it is too dangerous. He is a criminal!" Steve protested.

 

"He is also my friend. It is my life to bargain Cap," I retorted.

 

"Anastasia, I'm afraid Steve is right. My brother-"

 

I interrupted Thor immediately.

 

"Exactly! Your brother. He is your brother yet you cannot tell that he is not himself? His eyes are no longer the color they were before and his personality has changed completely. You cannot tell me that there is no resemblance between his eyes and those of Eric Selvig,"

 

The room fell silent, which was shocking seeing as Tony was present. Natasha and Bruce looked at me disapprovingly while Fury seemed slightly intrigued as he watched the camera feed of Loki's cell. The deafening silence was interrupted by the director himself.

 

"You were close to Loki in the past?" he questioned.

 

A hard lump formed in my throat as an inundation of memories came flooding into my mind. Fury groaned in pain and I stopped the flow of thought from reaching his mind. I was gifted with telepathy and telekinesis by the gods of another world long ago. My powers allowed me to enter the minds of others and see their memories, bend them to my will, and share memories as well as thoughts. My emotion had allowed some of the memories to slip through the cracks of my mind and begin to flow into those around me. Unfortunately, my telepathic powers were painful to the receiver unless it was expected and they opened their minds for me.

 

"I am sorry," I muttered, looking down at the floor.

 

He simply nodded his head in response.

 

"So, how do you expect to be able to find out whether or not he is being controlled?" Fury asked.

 

"I break down his mental barriers. If there is a presence that is not his own, then he is being controlled, or at least forced into doing the bidding of another."

 

"Well I for one, hope that there is no big bag alien controlling a god. The god himself is already enough trouble as it is," Tony quipped.

 

"You are not going down there," Steve stated finally.

 

"Oh really?" I smiled, looking at him devilishly.

 

Tony gulped dramatically and Steve took a step back.

 

"I recommend you keep an eye on the camera, Director," I huffed, pulling the knife from the sheath on my hip and teleporting into Loki's cage.

 

The plan was simple. Or, so it had been before I impulsively entered a confined area with a dangerous god. Loki's green eyes snapped up to meet mine and his mouth began to open, but he was only able to let out a choked sound before his pupils dilated and his eyes were pale blue.

 

"Loki," I murmured, standing calmly as the god approached.

 

He glared harshly, his eyes cutting through me like knives.

 

"Not Loki.." I reminded myself, using telekinesis to lock and hold the doors to the room shut. 

 

No one was going to stop me from helping him. I would not watch him become the monster he so despised. When Loki was only a step away, I extended the knife towards him. 

 

"If you wish me dead, so be it," I sighed, handing him the knife.

 

He greedily snatched it from my hands and was behind me, knife to my throat in an instant. I forced myself to remain calm and relaxed, showing no signs of retaliation.

 

"-But, I know this isn't you Loki."

 

I felt him go rigid behind me and the knife was removed from my neck with shaky hands.

 

"Ana-" he choked out, shoving me away.

 

I stumbled and hit the ground, forcing the air out of my lungs from my ungraceful act. Without standing, I turned to face the god I had met so long ago. His eyes were flickering between green and blue and for the first time since Asgard, I saw the man who was simply mischievous, not evil. He was the man who took me on romantic rides through Asgard's forests and would help me prank those foolish enough to anger me. 

 

"Loki. I can help you fight it," I whispered.

 

"Please.. Get out," he hissed, throwing the knife to the opposite side of the cage.

 

I shook my head and held a hand out to him pleadingly. Despite his previous protest, Loki's hand met mine almost instantly.

 

"I'm sorry," he said, his breathing labored.

 

"It's ok. I am going to help you," I reassured.

 

Then, I reached out to meet his mind with my own. As I did so, his eyes returned to a pale, sickly color and his hand tightened around mine. Forcefully, I fought my way through his formidable mental barriers, rendering both of us unable to move as we focused on our mental war.

 

As I forced myself into his mind, Loki let out a guttural scream and fell to the ground in agony. Finally, I reached the last barrier with tears streaming down my cheeks. I was the one causing my friend, and the object of my affection, such immense pain.

 

"I'm sorry," I said quietly, entering his mind fully and sorting through it as gently but quickly as I could.

 

Loki was not the only resident in his own mind, and the other was not as kind as I was. A dark, malicious force had wrapped itself around Loki's already tainted conscience. Fearing that I would not have much time, I frantically went through his recent memories. The only one I was able to see before being forced out of his mind, was of him trying to back out of some kind of deal with a large, dark figure atop a throne.

 

"You will do as I command," the figure ordered.

 

The voice was painfully familiar.

 

As past-Loki began to protest, I felt pain rip through his body as the figure clapped his hands. Loki had been so keen on gaining a throne, that he managed to get himself caught up in a deal with Thanos himself. True terror coursed throughout my mind, allowing the malicious presence to send my consciousness packing. 

 

"Loki what have you done?" I asked, now having returned to my own body.

 

"I was supposed to be dead," he choked, releasing my hand as his now-green eyes began to water.

 

"You made a deal with Thanos. Of all people to get involved with, you chose that purple freak!" I shouted angrily, picking up my knife.

 

Loki merely inspected his shoes, unable to meet my fiery gaze. Letting out a sigh, I returned my blade to its sheath and embraced the god before me.

 

"I will help you Loki," I decided as his arms wrapped around me.

 

"Why would you aid a monster?" he asked shakily, tremors running down his spine as I held him gently.

 

"I wouldn't. But you know I would do anything for you."

 

With that, I grabbed his chin softly and tilted his head so that his eyes met my own. A small smile crept onto my face as I placed a gentle kiss on his pale lips. His arms tightened around me before he relaxed and returned the kiss with a small smirk. I pulled away to see that he had a huge, smug smile plastered on his face.

 

"There's my Loki," I grinned.

 

His eyes began to flicker once more, so I planted a light kiss on his cheek before teleporting back to the meeting room where I was sure to be lectured by Steve. 

 

"As I said, he's being controlled," I stated, leaning against the table.

 

The Avengers looked at me with wide eyes, and of course Tony was the first to speak.

 

"Who knew that Loki the psychopath would be able to have a crush!"

 

"He was always quite fond of Anna," Thor mused.

 

"Who is it?" Fury interrupted.

 

"More gods?" Bruce questioned.

 

"I wish. This is much worse. He seeks to control everything, not just Earth. We are merely a small part of his plan. Loki made a deal with a man named Thanos, but when he tried to back out, Thanos forced him into submission. I can barely fight against Loki's mind, let alone his. I may be able to give Loki control, but as you saw, it would not last long. We must find a way to force that big purple brute out and break his hold."

 

"What happens then? Still not hearing a way to kill the purple alien," Tony said snarkily.

 

"I have no idea. Perhaps his daughters could help if we could find them."


	2. Damage of Deception

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> had some people ask for more so this has now become a full on fanfic rather an a one shot...

"Loki, no!" 

 

The words erupted from my lips in a near roar as the body of Phil Coulson hit the cold hard floor of the helicarrier. Only a day after our previous conversation, the trickster had escaped his cage and now hovered his hand over the button that would send his previous cell down to crash into the earth, with Thor inside. 

 

"Sorry darling," Loki grinned maliciously before slamming the button as I raced towards him, both of my hands equipped with daggers.

 

"Phil," I choked, stopping right before the god and his threatening scepter to glance down at the man who's blood was rapidly repainting the floor.

 

I looked hopelessly at the God of Mischief and the scepter which glared tauntingly in the low lights of the room.

 

"Monster," I spat in rage, glancing back at my dying comrade.

 

The god's gaze darkened at the word, but a maniacal gin quickly spread across his pale face and his eyes darkened. The change made my heart sink further as I stood beneath the analytical gaze of the god before me. After taking a deep breath, I dropped my hands to my side and stalked up to Loki until the end of the weapon barely pierced my skin. A drop of blood trickled down my chest and Loki tilted his head curiously before leaping back only for me to grab the scepter, holding him in place. For a moment, I reached out to his mind with my own, however; I was greeted only with the presence of Thanos and an overwhelming feeling of toxic power.

 

"It's obvious neither of us are leaving until one of our breathing comes to a permanent end," I explained, backing away with a shrug.

 

 

I searched Loki's blue eyes for any signs of remorse or understanding, but found nothing other than malevolence. With a groan, I readied myself as the god looked on observantly.

 

"I did always beat you during training," I joked halfheartedly, wishing I had armed myself with my scimitars rather than the small daggers that were currently in my grasp.

 

"You rivaled even Thor," he mused with a smirk.

 

"Back when he was more of an oaf, he's grown smarter. Unfortunately you haven't," I said tiredly, stepping sideways as Phil raised his weapon weakly towards us and fired it.

 

I watched wistfully as Loki flew backwards into a wall, crashing through it. After giving a sympathetic wince in the god's direction, I knelt beside Phil.

 

"I'm so sorry. I should have come sooner," I said quietly, taking his bloody hand in my own.

 

"Don't be. That boyfriend of yours sure has some bite," he groaned, his eyelids drooping.

 

I shook my head at his joke and attempted to inspect the wound but the blood made it impossible. I called for immediate medical attention but people were preoccupied with the Hulk who was now loose and angry on board.

 

"Give him a slap for me when this all blows over and you two are up in Asgard somewhere," he laughed, a sharp intake of breath making me groan hopelessly.

 

"Coulson," the voice of Nick Fury called out as the man himself approached us to kneel beside the fallen agent.

 

I watched in quiet agony as Phil took his final breath with the director kneeling beside him. With a shaky breath, I spoke into my radio.

 

"Agent Coulson is down," I choked, quickly turning it off when the message was complete.

 

As Fury continued to kneel beside the fallen body, I glanced in the direction of the hole Loki had so graciously made in the wall. To my dismay, he was gone. As I stood beside Nick Fury, I took in the damage my former friend had wrought upon the people of Earth. He had killed a political leader for his eye, terrified crowds of people, unleashed the Hulk on some of the SHIELD agents, sent Thor crashing who knows where, and killed one of my closest friends who was one of the most loyal agents SHIELD was capable of having.

 

Yet despite all of this, I could not hate him. The memories of his smile that had appeared frequently back on Asgard when we spent time in the library or pranked the guards together rolled through my mind like a bad after credits scene, or a eulogy. More so a eulogy of the man that he was. Unfortunately, I began to doubt the idea that the old Loki would ever return fully. Even if Thanos' presence was eradicated from his mind, Loki would have to live with the consequences his actions and those of the purple alien. 

 

A hand on my shoulder brought me back to reality, making me snap my gaze from the hole to the owner of the appendage: Nick Fury. We gave each other a slow nod and his eye seemed to hold a kind of understanding as the gunshots finally came to an stop. When the ship finally stabilized, I strolled to the conference room with a facade of optimism knowing that the Avengers would be disheartened by the recent events as much as I had been. As Loki crossed my mind, my most prominent frustration was my inability to track down Gamora or Nebula: Thanos' daughters.


	3. The Beginning

Later that day I found myself back in the place I had last seen Loki: the same room in which Coulson had drawn his final breath. Two of the Avengers soon joined me and despite my wishes for a quiet place to think, Steve and Tony quickly began to argue. As I stood, contemplating possible location of the trickster, the two men continued to be at each other's throats. Finally I was broken completely from my stream of thought by a stern statement from Stark.

"We are not soldiers."

The silence seemed to fall upon us like a heavy blanket and suddenly I had no wish for it.

"I'm not marching to Fury's fife," Tony added.

"He was building weapons, none of us are other than Tasha and Clint. But unfortunately we now have a god on our hands who just so happens to have an infinity stone so put the petty arguments aside for a moment because I doubt the world is ready for an alien invasion. Thanos has a formidable army that could easily wipe out our planet so let's focus on that, we can deal with SHIELD's ulterior motives later," I cut in, glaring at the two men.

"He made it personal," Stark noticed, glancing at the blood on the wall that had not yet been removed.

"That's not the point," Steve retorted.

"He's right. That is Loki's point. His strength comes from his mind, not any physical prowess. In case you have not noticed, he is a master manipulator," I stated.

"He wants to tear us apart," the blonde added.

"Yea, divide and conquer is great but he wants to win. He wants to beat us, he wants to be seen doing it. He wants an audience."

 

"So a big city," I said quietly as Tony paced, deep in thought.

"Right," Rogers noted, "I caught his act in Stuttgart.

"That's just previous. This is opening night, and Loki is a full tale diva."

 

Stark's statement made me let out a chuckle as I realized he had a point and remembered all of the times Loki had pulled random stunts for attention.

"He wants flowers, he wants a parade, he wants a monument built to the skies with his name plastered-"

 

"Stark Tower," I interrupted, just as Tony's eyes flooded with realization.

"Son of a bitch," the man muttered, running off to most likely get his suit.

Steve and I exchanged a glance and nodded in unison before taking off in separate directions. I jogged up to my room and managed to strip down to only my undergarments before Loki appeared in front of me.

"Illusion," I noted, using the clothes in my arms to cover myself as best I could while the god stared down at me.

"Anastasia," he greeted, averting his eyes to the ground.

"So you have the manners to avert your eyes but no incentive to keep from killing my friend?" I spat, glaring daggers at the man before me.

"I didn't know you were close to him-"

"That doesn't mean you can just go around killing people Loki! What do you think you are doing? Even if you win, you will be gaining what you want at the cost of everything you really need."

"What?" he scoffed.

I shook my head disappointingly, unwilling to explain something so blatantly obvious. 

 

"Loki you think that ruling this planet will make you better? Is your desire to rule so strong that you need something lower than you? You simply want others to be small so that you can feel big. Why did you come to me?" I asked, forcing my eyes to keep from watering as Loki's jaw tightened in anger.

Yet despite his anger, the god had no retort for my words and soon the anger drained from his face before being replaced by hopelessness.

"Join me?" he offered hopefully, holding out a hand towards me.

"You know I wish to join you in most everything Loki, but not this. Your destruction of this planet is something I hope not to live to see. When this is over, tell that damn grape to shove the infinity gauntlet up his ass," I said, adding a quiet joke to the end as I approached Loki's hologram slowly, clothes still covering most of my torso and my bra doing the rest.

Slowly, I reached my hand towards his face but waited a hairsbreadth away.

"You were always a king in my eyes Loki, I wish that had been enough for you. I hope that when this is over you remember who you are," I said quietly, resting my hand on the hologram's face which caused it to fade away.

When he was gone completely, I let out a shaky sigh and dropped my clothing to the floor before sliding into a skin tight black catsuit. Once it was on, I secured a few weapons of choice onto my belt: a pistol, two daggers Tony had made me which consisted of a type of laser/electric blade, and my scimitars. Once everything was situated, I threw my hair up into a messy ponytail and filled myself a cup of water. When it was finished, I fastened a radio onto ear and my legs brought me outside to the runways where I saw Cap, Tasha, and Clint in a Quinn Jet. Stark stood next to it with his suit on and gave me a nod as I headed inside.

"Anastasia," Clint greeted before closing the doors and taking us up into the air.

The city approached us rapidly from outside of the window, making me rub my hands together nervously. Outside, Stark was barely staying in the air as he sped directly towards his tower. I watched from my seat as Stark attempted to fire at the machine holding the tesseract and nearly laughed.

"We're too late for that. The tesseract will be untouchable unless we can convince Loki to shut it down which is highly unlikely," I informed as we landed in the street beside Stark tower, "so prepare for a fight with some extraterrestrials."

I leapt out first, scimitars drawn as a massive wormhole came into existence in the sky above us.

"Get out of here!" I boomed, making all nearby civilians run in the opposite direction before I returned my blades to my waist.

"Damnit Loki," I sighed, staring up as Stark fell from the tower and preparing to catch him only for his suit to do the job.

"Stark!" I shouted, causing him to snatch me from the ground as he flew by before flying us up with me clinging to his back like a monkey.

"There's another person you pissed off," Tony started as Loki stared directly at me with a look of surprise, "His name is Phil."

 

With that, I leapt into the confines of Stark tower as Tony blasted the god to the ground.

"Army," I reminded as the man looked up to the sky.

"Right," he muttered before flying upwards.

A quiet groan from behind me caused me to turn, scimitars drawn in an instant.

"Loki, please," I sighed, glancing down at him as he stared back up at me with unnaturally blue eyes.

With a grunt, I forced myself into his mind momentarily where I found Thanos lying in wait.

'I'm going to make him kill you. He will rip you apart and I will give him control just as the light leaves your eyes so he can see what he has done,' a dark voice threatened, making me stab at it blindly with my own consciousness.

'What do you want with Earth? You have the gauntlet and the rest of the stones are nowhere to be found. Why couldn't you just mind your own business or at least bring your grape ass down here yourself?' I retorted, landing a blow to the presence and sending it reeling which allowed Loki some control.

When I returned to my own consciousness, Loki's scepter was at my chest. The god's eyes quickly widened and he flung the weapon across the room, but his hand seemed to twitch at the absence of it.

"Anna," he gasped, as though he had just ran for miles on end.

"Loki you have to fight this. I can get him out of your mind but I need your help. Even if this is what you want, the ownership of this planet, I am guessing you would much rather have it to yourself than risk Thanos taking it," I replied, staring into his now normal eyes pleadingly.

I held my hand out towards him in a silent offer, watching carefully as he slowly raised his trembling hand to meet it. Tentatively, I prodded at his mind and was surprised when I was met with no resistance. Loki let out a relieved sigh, causing both of us to relax for a moment. Natasha's voice over the radio made me jump slightly and suddenly Loki's eyes were blue, allowing Thanos to strike.

"We need some help down here," Tasha called.

I was forced out of Loki's mind by the alien before being physically thrown out of the same window Stark had fallen through earlier.

"STARK!" I shouted frantically, hoping the crash would not render me unable to protect myself from the chitauri below.

Fortunately a fall from this height would only incapacitate me, but the aliens below most certainly could do worse.


	4. Chaos

Fortunately, I was snatched out of the air by Thor himself before my body could make contact with the concrete. When my feet touched the ground, Thor patted my shoulder gently and flew to the top of the tower as I unsheathed my scimitars. With a cry of anguish, I charged at the nearest chitauri and thrust one scimitar neatly through his head. 

 

When the body fell, Steve came into view in the distance. After giving Stark tower a forlorn glance, I turned back to the fight and began gracefully slicing through the bodies of aliens in order to reach the others. When I finally reached my destination, Banner had arrived and Stark warned us of an incoming giant alien mother which would most likely just plow through all of us.

 

"I'm bringing the party to you," he warned.

 

"Thanks Stark, but I really do not wish to attend your party," I shouted into the radio.

 

As the giant beast turned the corner, the blood drained from my face and I no longer heard the others discussing any plan. 

 

"Oh my god," I murmured, my arms dropping like led to my side as I realized that I was the closes to the incoming monster.

 

Banner stepped in front of me and began to transform into the Hulk when suddenly I was snatched into the air by a chitauri ship. When I regained my senses, I realized that Loki had been the one to pull me away from the beast. Although, Banner took out the alien quite quickly and I was suddenly aware that perhaps I was in more danger now than I had been before. 

 

"Loki, please let me down," I asked quietly, wrapping my arms around his waist as he took a sharp turn and landed upon a nearby building.

 

When we were settled I took a tentative step from the ship onto the roof of the building, never taking my eyes off of the tense god before me.

 

"Loki look what you are doing," I pleaded, gesturing to the city below us which was quite literally up in flames.

 

"I can't stop it-" he choked, his gaze rising to meet my own before he too looked upon the damage he had brought upon New York.

 

"This is not entirely your fault Loki, I can help you. Find me if you choose to allow me to do so, because together we can stop this," I said hopefully, striding over to plant a gently kiss on his cheek while also gently taking his hand into my own.

 

He stared at me helplessly but gave my hand a tight squeeze before releasing me and allowing me to leap off of the building to save a group of citizens who had been cornered by chitauri. I managed to clear the street and free the civilians but when I looked back up, the god was gone. With a sigh, I returned to the base of Stark tower. Once there, hordes of the aliens came upon me. In every one I was only able to see the face of the purple monster who had taken over the mind of my closest friend, and with that thought in mind I wiped out waves of the chitauri until the heap of bodies around me nearly held me prisoner.

 

"Thanos! I know you can hear me, keep your grimy hands off of this planet!" I screeched, twirling around in a dangerous spiral as yet another alien cautiously approached only to end up as another body upon the pile.

 

When the street was finally clear, a familiar voice rang out clearly. I glanced up to see Loki, his eyes now a sickly blue and his face sheet white.

 

"You called?" he teased before beckoning me over while flying up Stark tower on a ship.

 

With a grunt, I teleported to the top of the tower where Loki was once again waiting for me, his eyes still evident of the fact that he no longer inhabited his own mind.

 

"Fight it Loki," I whispered quietly, my strength a bit lessened after teleporting.

 

"Your pleads fall upon deaf ears. This insolent creature is loyal only to me. I assure you that even if you and your friends win this fight, there will be no place your precious Loki can hide where I will not find him. He will be punished, then I will come to Earth myself," he warned, but his words were only those of Thanos.

 

"Loki," I pleaded for a final time as I saw the Hulk approaching from behind the oblivious god who held his scepter towards me threateningly.

 

A malevolent grin crossed Loki's face and I sighed before taking a step back which Hulk took as a signal to let out a deafening roar. I watched forlornly as he was slammed into the ground like a rag doll and after a few moments, I walked up to the Hulk with my arms out in front of me in a gesture for peace.

 

"Hulk, that's enough. Please go smash another alien for now. Thank you," I said carefully, gesturing outside where another of the giant space worm creatures was crashing through the streets.

 

The Hulk nodded and dropped the god before smashing through the window, leaving Loki in a crater his body had made in the floor. As the god groaned in pain, I slid the scepter away from him before kneeling beside him.

 

"Loki, I need you to help me end this. How do I deactivate the tesseract?" I pleaded as Tony warned us of an incoming missile.

 

"Loki please," I begged, a tear escaping my eye to run down my cheek as the god stared back up at me as though in a daze.

 

"I've got a nuke coming in. It's gonna blow in less than a minute," Stark called out.

 

"I know just where to put it," he added, making me jump slightly.

 

"Tony that's a one way trip," I warned, my voice shaking as I still attempted to wake a groaning Loki from his daze.

 

"The scepter," Loki coughed, bringing my attention back to him as he attempted to get up.

 

"Is that Reindeer Games?" Stark questioned.

 

I quickly surveyed the god's mind in an attempt to check for Thanos but was greeted with only a slight presence which Loki and I were able to quickly eradicate. Apparently, Hulk had done the job of weakening Thanos' hold on the god enough for us to finish it. 

"Yes Stark. I think he can close this damn portal."

"Help me?" Loki asked cautiously as I stood.

 

After glancing over his beaten form, I carefully helped the god to his feet and held the scepter in hand. Once I ensured that Loki was able to hold some of his own weight, I teleported us to the very top of the building where Selvig and Natasha were waiting beside the tesseract. Unfortunately, the use of my powers rendered me exhausted and I was barely able to take a step without collapsing.

 

"Careful," Loki scolded, barely able to keep his own balance let alone hold me up as we swayed together under the confused gaze of the two humans.

 

"He can close it," I informed, finding the strength to shuffle forward while still bearing some of Loki's weight.

 

"Damn you're heavy," I complained, just as Stark disappeared into the portal.

 

Loki took the scepter from my hands but still supported me when I tripped once again.

 

"Don't impale yourself. This will close it but I assume you wish to wait for the tin man to return," he noted, looking up with the rest of us as a large explosion could be seen on the other end of the gateway.

 

"Close it," Steve said finally.

 

"Loki-" I started, but the god had heard the radio order and sent the scepter through the machine with ease.

 

The god quickly released the weapon and backed away, considering Natasha for a moment as he was fully hit with the severity of his actions.

 

"Odin will have my head," he muttered.

 

"You did nearly destroy the city, but I will not let him kill you for this. It was not entirely your fault, however; you never should have made a deal with that grape in the first place," I said comfortingly, grabbing his hand and squeezing it before my gaze shot up to the sky when I heard Steve's voice once again.

 

"Son of a bitch."

 

Stark had made it back through the portal, but was falling to Earth at a terrifying speed.

 

"Thor?" I questioned, hoping that the god would be able to stop Tony's fall.

 

Before he could do anything, the Hulk leapt into the air and caught the billionaire. I held my breath as he landed and began heading down to where the rest of the Avengers waited. Natasha and Selvig walked ahead while Loki and I slowly made our way down the stairs.

 

"Thank you," Loki said quietly, catching my arm before we could follow Black Widow and the doctor out of the building.

 

"You're welcome. I only wish I had been able to help you sooner," I sighed before gently pressing my lips against his, knowing that soon we would both be back on Asgard but he would be in a cell.

 

The god responded immediately, his hands finding their way to my waist and his lips moving fervently against my own. The kiss was full of desperation and was soon deepened when Loki ran his tongue over my bottom lip questioningly. Without hesitation, I gave in and allowed his tongue to gently graze the inside of my mouth as I ran my fingers through his hair. This only continued for a few minutes before I pulled away, a look of guilt on my face as I stared into the eyes of the man who had recently been trying to take over the planet.

 

"Come on," I sighed, taking his hand into my own reassuringly before tugging him along behind me.

 

His grip on my hand tightened immediately when we left the building and stood before the Avengers who all held their weapons towards Loki threateningly, other than Stark who remained on the ground in his suit and stared up at us. Quietly, I stepped in front of the god to gain their attention.

 

"I assume Thor would have Loki taken back to Asgard. He is of no threat to you anymore, Banner managed to hit him hard enough to weaken Thanos' control so that we could destroy it. Either way he will pay for his crimes, but not here. The tesseract must return as well," I announced, staring upon the weary faces of my friends.

 

"How do we know you aren't lying?" Clint questioned, his bow still raised.

 

"Loki closed the portal," Natasha responded monotonously, causing the man to lower his weapon grudgingly.

 

With one fluid movement, I turned and cuffed Loki's hands together with shackles that would limit his ability to use his powers. The action made him roll his eyes in displeasure.

 

"We both know you would have tried to escape," I responded before gently nudging him towards his brother.

 

The sight of Thor made Loki's eyes darken, but he gave no verbal complaint as the god of thunder looked down at him disapprovingly. It was only an hour later when the three of us bid farewell to the Avengers and returned to Asgard where Loki would be given his sentence. I could only hope that the Allfather would believe me.


	5. A Lightened Sentence

When we first arrived on Asgard, it almost felt like home. However, when I turned to see Loki in chains as we walked down the rainbow bridge the pleasant feeling was long gone. We had not gotten far when a familiar silver shape came bounding towards us along the rainbow bridge, followed by her rust colored counterpart. It would seem that my canine friends had sensed my return and now were loping towards me at a terrifying speed.

 

"At least we don't have to walk," I noted as the massive wolves approached in single file, too large to lope alongside each other.

 

I watched a look of slight fear cross both of the princes' faces and for a moment felt a small burst of joy. 

 

"Geri, Freki," I greeted as the wolves skid to a halt before me, panting excitedly.

 

The two bowed their heads in unison which graced my lips with a smile. I chose to walk beneath Geri in order to reach her auburn mate, Freki as they were unable to greet me side by side due to their size. The two had been the ones to first create the canine species and populate the Earth with their smaller offspring so many centuries ago, but had taken a liking to me in the forest years ago when I managed to get myself lost. After greeting both, I returned to the princes and grabbed Loki's hand as Freki lowered himself against the bridge. Although difficult, I managed to get myself as well as a chained Loki onto his back without going tumbling into the water below.

 

"I need no mutt to bring me to the palace," Thor chided arrogantly, instead admiring his hammer.

 

"Then I would hope you enjoy your brother running free once more, as if you are to simply fly there with that lump of rock there are no promises we will join you," I warned boredly, gesturing at Geri who snapped her jaws in annoyance at the eldest prince.

 

Loki had always done well with my unusual friends, however; Thor often looked down upon animals and merely ended up pissing them off on most occasions. Every moment that passed made me wish to have my wolves throw Thor from the platform and set Loki free far from Asgard, however; I was aware that the trickster was still to blame for many of his crimes, as he chose to bargain with the titan Thanos in the first place.

 

"Come or I will have them chase you. They are very good at fetch," I added, "Take us to the palace."

 

My order to the wolves was so half hearted that they looked at me curiously and instead stood their ground as though they were well aware that I had no wish to set foot inside the kingdom. Although it more had to do with the kingdom's inhabitants and the arrogant man on the throne. Despite his power, the Allfather was most apt at covering up whatever he deemed a problem. It was as though the rest of Asgard lived in a trance, as they never questioned how we had become such a powerful kingdom. 

 

Loki's eyes bore into the back of my head, but he still did not speak a word and instead leaned his body against the back of my own. The warmth made me relax into the touch, and further question my decision to sentence the man behind me to a horrible punishment.

 

"Please, let's go," I added quietly, before I could change my mind.

 

With that, the wolves took off at a leisurely pace and Thor was left to chase after us. It only took him a moment to leap onto Geri, although it had been funny to watch him chase helplessly. Unfortunately, all pleasant emotion the reunion the wolves had brought me was quickly diminished the moment we entered the throne room. I watched helplessly as Loki was pinned to the floor the moment he slid off of the back of Freki and clad with more chains.

 

"Odin, you must listen to me," I tried to plead as the king looked down upon us, Frigga at his side.

 

The Allfather paid me no mind and instead glared down upon the prince coldly, his exposed eye filled with rage. I leapt to the ground and stood in silence as the trial took place, both wolves sitting rigid at my side. I watched wistfully as the guards dragged the prince to the dungeons where he would await execution, my rage eliciting a growl from Geri which made the guards shuffle along that much faster.

 

"Allfather, I have some terrible news," I called, walking forward to stand before the throne just as Thor exited to rejoin his friends elsewhere.

 

The man contemplated me for a moment before looking over to Frigga. Before he could respond, I decided to continue my careful explanation.

 

"Loki was not alone in his attack, or I suppose, he was not the one attacking Midgard," I said slowly, my gaze fixed upon Frigga who I knew would be much more likely to believe me.

 

"Loki was the one who led the chitauri's assault on Midgard, and he will pay for his crimes," Odin said, finality in his tone which I promptly ignored.

 

"Not by his own choice. Your son made a deal with a titan and was threatened into doing his bidding. Now that Loki has failed, it is obvious that this titan will make his way to Midgard sooner or later," I warned, making the Allfather turn his attention back to me.

 

"Even if that were so, that is not our war. You have no proof that Loki is not to blame, and he should be overjoyed that I have granted him a quick execution rather than a more torturous death. If you choose to argue for his sake, I assure you my mind may change on that matter."

 

"I do have proof Allfather," I responded curtly.

 

Frigga rested her hand on her husband's bicep and whispered something into his ear which seemed to soothe his growing rage.

 

"Anastasia dear, what proof do you have?" she asked gently, her eyes imploring me to find a way to lighten her son's sentence.

 

"I have only my memories, which you are welcome to search through and relay to your husband if you do not trust that I can project an accurate depiction upon the both of you as I have already shown who's side I have taken on this matter. I would suppose you would want to search them yourself as to circumvent any bias I may have," I said courteously, pausing to think after every few words.

 

The queen nodded in response before looking back to Odin.

 

"Dear, if she is telling the truth-"

 

"Do it," he sighed, leaning back against the throne in exhaustion.

 

My canine companions stayed by my side as loyal guards even as the queen walked up and placed a hand upon my forehead. I was careful not to hide too many memories for fear of it sparking suspicion, and gave her full access to everything that had occurred over the past year during my time on Earth.

 

I watched my own memories be played like movie scenes by the queens' own mental presence as though I was merely a spectator. My heart clenched as she came upon the first time I had spoken to Loki in the cell, where I had given him the opportunity to kill me. I felt her curiosity grow when she too noticed the flickering of Loki's pained eyes, and felt her grow anxious when she was greeted with the mere memory of Thanos' presence that had rooted itself into the trickster's mind. My anger became her own at the memory of Thanos' threat towards Loki.

 

As she began to withdraw, the queen paused at the sight of Loki and I sharing a kiss. Relief and joy flowed from her consciousness and into my own as she realized that I had not been lying, and I had been able to soften Loki's heart which was been previously hardened by his rage.

 

"She is truthful."

 

Frigga's warm voice brought me out of my own consciousness and returned me to the throne room. The Allfather's one eye gazed down upon us coldly, but he too seemed relieved by the revelation.

 

"He will spend the rest of his days in the dungeon, only to be released under your care for a few hours a week. I trust that you are aware of what punishment will befall you if he is to escape," Odin said bitterly, as though he already regretted his words but was too stubborn to admit it.

 

I would not have been surprised if he wished for Loki to escape merely to have a reason to have my head.

 

"I am well aware and will accept any punishment if I am to lose your prisoner. Thank you Allfather," I responded courteously.

 

I bowed lowly to the two, although it was more so directed towards Frigga than the Allfather. A relieved smile crossed my face as well as Frigga's and I quickly jogged out of the throne room before Odin could change his mind, Freki and Geri on my heels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/n: I did some research on Ragnarok after seeing the most recent Thor movie for the second time and came across some interesting mythology including the wolves Geri and Freki who were in fact the creators of the canine species according to Norse legends. I figured I would add some other characters as well as my own plot changes in order to make this story less predictable. I hope you enjoy.


	6. Visitation

It was not long before I found myself outside of Loki's cell, hoping to talk to the defeated trickster. I had chosen to strip myself of all of my weapons before approaching the barrier between the two of us. The dark haired man sat on his small mattress, flipping boredly through pages of a book he had surely already completed.

 

"Loki," I called out softly, but he still did not give me a glance.

 

"May I enter?" I asked, staring intently at the god.

 

Loki's gaze pierced through me as he stared with hurt and rage, making me shudder as I never believed I would be on the receiving end of such a look from the god.

 

"You will not be executed Loki, I ensured your safety. When you are less angry with me, I can allow you to leave."

 

Mischief swarmed in the man's iris' as he began planning his escape from Asgard, making my stomach churn. 

"I'm not sure if it will make a difference, but if you cause any trouble it will be my head on the chopping block," I said listlessly, lowering my gaze to my shoes as I was unwilling to be faced with the fact that Loki would sacrifice me without a second thought.

 

When I finally worked up the courage, I tore my gaze from the floor to watch the trickster. To my dismay, he had returned to flipping through his book absentmindedly. The sight ripped a quiet sigh from my throat and caused me to spin on my heel.

 

"You're welcome," I said sadly before allowing my now heavy feet to carry me away from the cell.

 

"Wait."

 

Loki's voice nearly stopped me in my tracks, but I shook my head and continued to walk only to be stopped by what he said next.

 

"Yes. You may enter."

 

I scoffed, turning back towards him with disbelief and annoyance written across my features. However, the now gentle expression on the god's face caused my anger to dissipate.

 

"Please," he added softly, making all remnants of irritation fall from my body.

 

A small smile made its way onto my face before I teleported into the cell so that I stood beside Loki. Our closeness caused my breath to shorten for a moment before I was able to shuffle backwards. When he turned to face me, I forced myself to remain calm.

 

"May I sit?" I asked quietly.

 

In response, he settled himself onto the mattress before patting the empty space beside him welcomingly.

 

"Thank you," I said as I lowered myself into a sitting position on the bed.

 

"I should be the one thanking you Anna," he breathed, staring at me intently.

 

"For?" I questioned.

 

"It would seem you saved my life again," he said mirthlessly, as though disappointed.

 

Seeing his expression, I delicately took his large hand in my own and gave it a squeeze. For a while, we sat in comfortable silence. Fortunately, all surrounding and nearby cells on this portion of the prison were empty for the time being which gave us some privacy to simply relax and enjoy each other's company. The silence only led to my curiosity resurfacing as I thought of when Loki had chosen to fall from the broken bridge of the bifrost, rather than climbing back up.

 

"Loki," I started tentatively, "Why did you let go?"

 

The god's eyes flashed dangerously but quickly calmed as he took a deep breath.

 

"After all of the lies I had been fed, I was tired. No matter what I did, I was always wrong in my actions so I chose to fall rather than face the consequences. Obviously, things did not go to plan."

 

His cold tone sent shivers down my spine, but I leaned my head onto his shoulder anyways. For a moment he went rigid, but soon relaxed and played with my hair, engrossed in his own thoughts.

"You know, I will be releasing you in a day or so," I started thoughtfully, "and if you choose to bolt the moment you step foot outside, I will not blame you but please do not return to Thanos. You have nothing to prove, so give up your selfish dream of ruling over a civilization you have no business being a part of."

 

"I won't."

 

The vague nature of his response made me internally nervous, but I chose to show none of it and instead stay relaxed against him.

 

"In case you're wondering, I will not allow you to be my sacrifice. You really believe that I would leave you to suffer for my foolishness?" he said in disbelief, going rigid beside me.

 

I stiffened and shook my head in denial as he nearly shook with rage.   
"You believe me to be a monster?" 

 

The question seemed to be more of a statement, and it rendered me speechless. I watched in silence as his skin turned blue before my eyes, and his eyes turned a bright red. Finally, I was able to force words from my mouth.

 

"No," I choked out, "You are not a monster Loki, even in this form. No matter what you may believe, I could never see you as a monster."

 

Loki closed his eyes and took in a shuddering breath. When I brought my fingers up to brush against his cheek, his blood red eyes were quickly opened again and he jumped backwards.

 

"No. It will hurt, don't touch me," he stuttered, his gaze fixed upon his hands.

 

Despite his warning, I slid my hand into his with a smile. For a moment, the action caused an intense burning feeling to seep into my hand but before it crept up my arm, the feeling dissipated.

 

"It won't hurt if you don't let it," I said quietly, planting a kiss on his cheek and admiring the Jotunn designs upon it.

 

A small smile crossed my face as Loki returned to his usual form, still slightly tense from his previous anger.

 

"See? You are not a monster, you are my king," I added, biting my lip nervously as I realized that my words may only further anger the god.

 

I closed my eyes to brace myself for the possible onslaught I had brought upon myself, however; instead I was pulled into a warm embrace before being dragged onto the mattress fully so that both Loki and I were laying comfortably, my head rested upon his chest. I adjusted so that I could bury my face into his neck which made the god hum contently.

 

I was only able to enjoy his embrace for a few moments longer before I heard guards approaching. A soft sigh left my lips as I realized that I would have to leave Loki alone in this dreary cell. When I went to roll off of the god and onto the floor, he merely tightened his grip on my waist.

"Loki, I have to leave. The guards are coming-"

 

"Let them see that you are mine-"

 

"That's not the point. I cannot stay for long. If I manage to anger Odin he may very well revoke my right to visit you at all. Goodbye Loki," I responded sadly.

 

Throwing aside all common sense, I kissed the god roughly just as the guards arrived before teleporting back to my own room immediately. My lips tingled at the loss of Loki's, and my adrenaline was heightened. It was only after a moment of attempting to calm down that I picked up my scimitars and headed to the training field where I could put my energy to use.


	7. The Aether

The next year on Asgard passed by swiftly. I spent much of my time thoroughly exploring Asgard alongside the wolves, and the rest with Loki in his cell. On rare occasions I mustered up the courage to allow him to leave his cell and go on short trips to the library, but Odin had quickly put an end to that after a few citizens became anxious. Now I was forced into the bland cell whenever I wished to see the prince, but more often than not I was caught up in assisting Thor and the warriors three with their battles, as well as occasionally visiting Midgard. On one particularly chilly evening, I found myself wandering aimlessly through the halls until I stumbled upon the library and felt a tug in my chest.

 

After allowing a quiet sigh to escape my lips, I reached out for Loki's mind with my own. We had become slightly distanced in the time he was imprisoned, however; that was to be expected. Despite this, I still felt his presence within my mind quite frequently. It was often more prominent during parties or dinners where I got particularly tipsy despite my high tolerance, or when a member of the opposite gender chose to make a move on me. Loki would gently guide me back to my room, or seethe with anger until the man left.

My melancholy was soon relieved when I passed through another hallway to see Thor walking with Jane Foster, a highly intelligent mortal I had heard nothing but good things about.

"Anastasia, there you are. I would like you to meet Jane, before we head to the healers" Thor boomed, his loud voice echoing off of every wall throughout the corridor.

"Hello Jane," I greeted, nodding in approval as I approached and held my hand out for her to shake in the typical Midgardian way.

"Nice to meet you Anastasia, Thor talked about you a lot the last time he visited," the brunette said cheerily, although there was certainly a form of uncertainty or jealously in her tone.

"I have heard much about you Ms. Foster, I am glad Thor finally found someone that can keep up with him," I smiled.

We shared pleasantries for only a while longer before we approached the healers, where I nearly parted ways but chose to stay out of curiosity. Jane did not seem sick, however; there was a presence within her when I brushed against her mind that flowed with energy.

When Odin first entered, annoyance in his tone, I nearly turned heel and walked out of the room. If not for the presence within Jane calling out to me, I would have done so, but the energy held me in place as the two gods argued. When the brave mortal snapped at the Allfather, I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. For once there was another willing to stand up against the man. Unfortunately, Odin still called for the guards to return her to Midgard. I managed to call out a warning as they approached.

"Odin I would not do that. The energy running through her is ancient and powerful. Angering it could bring us only misfortune."

As usual, my word was not taken seriously. I felt Loki's presence in my mind and allowed him to sate his curiosity by giving him the ability to share my vision as the guards reached for the mortal only to be sent flying backwards. The surge of energy nearly knocked me off of my feet as it invaded my mind, holding me in my place as the rest of the room recovered. As the presence brushed against my consciousness, I found it oddly familiar. It was only when Odin and Thor rushed Jane out of the room and to the library that I recognized it.

'Infinity stone,' I sighed, chasing after the trio as they headed for the library.

"Allfather. It's an infinity stone, she carries the reality stone," I gasped out as they opened a book regarding the gem, more commonly known as the Aether.

Thor and Jane gave me a quizzical look, but the Allfather's face paled as he made the connection as well. After receiving a curt nod from Odin, I watched silently as he explained the Aether's history. As he did so, my mind reeled with thoughts of the locations of the rest of the gems. Surely having two of them so close together was a recipe for disaster.

When Odin insisted that the Dark Elves were wiped out, I nearly scoffed. Asgardian leaders covered up the truth all to often, as seen here with the existence of the Aether which was said to be destroyed.

'Be careful around her,' were Loki's only words to me before he retreated from my mind, leaving me to my own thoughts.

When I reached my bed and managed to close my eyes, it became obvious that his departure had been a mistake for my own thoughts were sporadic. My nerves were only calmed when his presence once again brushed against my mind with a final message.

'Goodnight, Love.'


	8. Collateral Damage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have read my one shot this may look familiar

When a riot broke out in the dungeons the next afternoon, I found myself hurrying down and calling out for Loki's conscience hopefully.

 

'Loki are you ok?' I asked, the shouting growing louder with every second. 

 

When there was no answer, I huffed and imagined his cell which allowed me to appear beside the god of mischief. His eyes were slightly wide, and sparkled with a sort of interest as though he had seen something entertaining.

 

"Loki what did you do?" I sighed, rubbing my temples.

 

"It wasn't me," he protested, "but, I can't say it wasn't admirable. I had hoped you would come, I gave some sort of beast direction to head upstairs."

 

"Loki," I warned, backing away from him slowly while shaking my head in disbelief.

 

"Anna-"

 

I felt out for Thor's mind, praying that he would allow me access easily. Fortunately, his conscious was unguarded, allowing me to speak freely.

 

'One of the prisoners made it out already' I conveyed before retreating from the god's mind and returning to my own.

 

Loki stared at me as though he was a cornered animal, caged and full of conscious fear. After I had taken a shaky breath, my eyes shot daggers at the god, piercing through him. He lowered his gaze in slight shame right before I teleported to the throne room, hoping to find Jane nearby. My heart raced as the rest of my body flew through the halls, my feet falling lightly against the floor. Loki was well aware of my anger towards him, and it was strong enough to keep him out of my conscience which left me alone with my fear.

 

"Thor!" I called out, seeing him burst through a door just around the next corner.

 

The sight before me made my knees tremble and nearly give out. I rushed forward to kneel beside Frigga's fallen body as Thor chased her killers: Malekith and his Kursed follower. 

 

"My queen," I breathed, ripping the hem of my shirt to apply pressure to the wound in an attempt to stem the profuse bleeding.

 

Her eyes were slowly drained of their life at the same pace her blood left her body.

 

"Loki, he truly loves you," she smiled up at me, reaching for my face with her bloody palm for only a moment before dropping it back to her side.

 

The last drop of life dripped from her eyes in a small tear, leaving the body of the queen in my shuddering arms. I sat beside her in silence, eyes closed and head bowed in respect until Odin appeared in the doorway.

 

"She's gone," I croaked, staring up at him helplessly as he stared at his wife's body in shock.

 

When Thor returned, he fell to his knees beside me and mourned with me. We were soon joined by the Allfather, who knelt down and took Frigga's cold hand into his own before bowing his head. It was only shortly after that I felt Loki's mind prod at my own, curiosity ingrained in his very conscious. Knowing this would be the worst way for him to find out, I forced my walls up and locked the trickster out of my mind. 

 

Finally, Thor and I nodded at each other before standing in unison, allowing the king to carry his wife for what would likely be the final time. Odin parted ways, but Thor and I stumbled through the corridors together for a while longer before stopping to stand on a nearby balcony. When I shot a glance towards him in the harsh early evening light, I noticed dampness beneath his eyes and sighed. We made eye contact, and I could not think of any words of comfort so instead I embraced him silently. His large arms wrapped around my thin frame, holding me flush against him so that I could feel his body quiver in sorrow. 

 

We stood together until it got dark, and Jane tentatively stepped onto the balcony. I rubbed Thor's back comfortingly before releasing him and smiling sympathetically towards the brunette. After giving the god a small squeeze, I released him and gently guided him to Jane. Once the couple were reunited, I managed a halfhearted smile before my numb legs carried me to the throne room where I would discuss matters with the Allfather. 

 

"Allfather," I said tentatively, curtsying robotically in respect.

 

"What?" he snapped, his single eye piercing through me.

 

"Loki must be told," I started quietly.

 

"I will not risk the safety or mental state of my guards to inform him. Unless you will tell him yourself, that is all I have to say in the matter. My wife is dead and that monster will find out sooner or later!" Odin shouted, his temper flaring.

 

He was in despair, but that did not make a single word he had just spoken anywhere near alright. Perhaps I was being rash, but so was the king. I marched up the steps to his throne and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. The guards had all been dismissed and it was just the two of us in the throne room.

 

"You may be the king and you may be grieving but Loki is still your son!" I shouted.

 

"He is not my son," Odin mumbled, refusing to meet my hardened gaze.

 

"He became your son the moment you saved him from dying alone in Jotunheim. He was abandoned once and already feels betrayed, there is no need for you to be the one who breaks him fully. He deserves to be treated as well as Thor and he deserves to know that the closest thing he's ever had to a mother, is dead," I said through gritted teeth.

 

"Then tell him. Visit him in his cage if you wish it to be so. You will have to be the one to deal with what the news will do to him."

 

"Of course," I stated, releasing my hold on him before jogging down to the dungeon. 

 

As usual, Loki was laying on his bed, reading. The man on guard quietly watched me teleport inside the shield protected cell before going down the hall a ways in order to allow us privacy. 

 

"Hello Loki," I stated, my voice glum.

 

"What is it you want, Anastasia?"

 

"I didn't wish to be the one to inform you about what happened-"

 

"Then why did you come?"

 

"Because Odin would not send guards and I believe you deserve to know. Frigga is dead," I blurted

 

Loki's face fell and he put down the book before standing up suddenly. 

 

"How?" was all he could get out.

 

"She was murdered by Malekith and the monster who resided in the cell down the hall," I said softly, trying as best I could to not put any blame on the god as I was sure he was already suffering enough.

 

Loki's figure shook with something I could only take as a mixture of both anger and despair. He sat back down on the bed with a thump. I knew just being in the cell with him at the moment was dangerous, but he did not deserve to be alone through this. Quietly, I sat down next to him, not a word spoken. It was nearly half an hour later when he decided to speak.

 

"It's my fault," he murmured.

 

And that was when he broke down completely. Objects around us slammed against the cell wall as he screamed deafeningly before breaking into deep sobs that wracked his entire body. I put a gentle hand on his shoulder silently as he wailed at the loss of the only mother he had ever known. To my surprise, Loki hugged me tightly before whispering two words into my ear between sobs.

 

"Thank you."


	9. Mending

I had spent days with Loki in his cell, fearful to leave him alone to his thoughts for long as I knew he would find it hard to forgive himself for the loss of his mother. The first day, I watched him trash the cell with his magic, ducking under any furniture that came my way as I was sure he was to enraged to stop them from striking me. The second, he finally stopped pacing in anger and instead sat against the wall. His hair was ruffled and the dark circles under his eyes were more than enough proof that the god was exhausted. Last night, we finally slept. I held his cold form against my body throughout the night until I felt the presence of a guard approach. Now I stood in the cell, staring down at Loki as he watched through hazy eyes.

"I have to leave. I stayed far too long," I whispered, tracing a circle on his cheek with the pad of my thumb comfortingly before giving a sympathetic smile and teleporting back to my room.

For the better part of the day, I sparred against various warriors, defeating them all until Thor himself approached me. My scimitar was at his throat in an instant, my rage blinding me.

"We have to free Loki," he stated lowly, pushing my blade from his neck.

I quickly replaced the blade so that it was once again at his throat and glared intently.

"I will be killed," I hissed.

"You do not have to assist us, in fact you could report us to Odin after we are far enough-"

"Thor. He will have me executed if Loki escapes for any reason," I said, glaring dangerously at the god and wondering if he would be willing to sacrifice me.

"I will not let that happen," Thor retorted quietly.

"You know very well that you cannot stop your father. Why do you want Loki free?" I interrogated, gaze locked with his.

"Jane needs help. I have a plan-"

"You would have me killed for the sake of your mortal lover," I hissed venomously.

"The Aether must be destroyed-"

"Good luck with that! It's an infinity stone, only another could stand the chance of destroying it and even if you managed that, it would be worse than setting off a nuke. The only thing you can do is have the Aether removed and trapped in someone or something other than Jane," I said smoothly, reaching out for Loki's consciousness as I felt him prod at my own.

As Thor processed the information, he seemed to become lost deep in thought.

"Thor, you cannot ask me to sacrifice myself for something that is most likely to backfire. Take Loki from his cell if you wish but my blood will be on your hands," I stated monotonously, lowering my blade before taking a small step backwards.

I was sure that Loki heard my statement, as I felt a spike of rage pierce through our connection while he reviewed my memories of the last few minutes. After weighing my options and seeing the god of thunder's face fall, I gave Thor a curt nod.

"I'll help," I sighed, sheathing my weapons before teleporting back to my room and throwing all of them onto the mattress.

After feeling that Loki's anger had not subsided, I chose to once again join him in his cell.

'If I'm going to die anyways, might as well spend as much time with him as I can,' I thought to myself sadly before appearing in Loki's cell, well aware that my life was a small price to pay if the Aether could be kept out of any enemy's hands.

"No harm will come to you," a raspy voice reassured, bringing my gaze to a crumpled figure against the wall of the cell: Loki.

The god was holding his left shoulder gently and blood was smeared on the bottom of his foot, seeming to be dripping from a wound in his calf. Worries for my own life pushed aside, I hurried over to him and instantly slid onto my knees.

"What did you do? I wasn't even gone for a full day," I said disappointedly before gesturing at his torn shirt.

"May I? I would like to see what you managed to do to your shoulder."

Not even a smirk was to be seen on the god's face as he nodded stiffly.

"What's wrong? Normally you'd tease about something so suggestive," I smiled, carefully helping Loki out of his shirt.

When the fabric was removed, I was able to see the slight bruising that littered the pale skin of his ribcage. My eyes quickly traveled to his shoulder, to see that it was at an awkward angle and surrounded by a sickening bruise. The sight made me gasp and return my gaze to his, which revealed that his eyes still had not left my face.

"Loki, you're scaring me you know. What's wrong?" I asked tentatively, tracing my fingers down his arm thoughtfully.

Before I could blink, my body was pressed against the god's torso. A small gasp of air escaped my lips as I tried to squirm out of his grip, fearful that the contact would cause him pain.

"I thought I had made this quite clear, but apparently I had to repeat it," he said lowly, "you will not be put in harm's way. I care not for Thor's mortal pet, nor do I care for the survival of the universe without you in it. Understood?"

A small gulp forced its way down my throat as his eyes bore into mine.

"Loki, if Thanos gets his hands on this I will not be the only casualty. I am sure you are not in his good graces after losing the battle in New York. It is quite possible he will kill you, and I will not let that happen knowing I could have done something to prevent it. You will not be put in harm's way on my watch. I am going with Thor, so if you wish to keep me from harm's way in regards to Malekith, I suggest you join me."

His eyes glinted dangerously as they scanned my face for any sign of dishonesty, and the cell was silent.

"Let me help you," I said quietly, removing myself from his grasp as gently as possible before gripping his biceps with care.

"You need a bath, and I need to treat the wounds you managed to inflict upon yourself. If you could use your magic to create an illusion of yourself in this cell while we're gone, I can take you to my chambers. I'm breaking you out of here soon anyways so it can't be much worse," I stated, eyeing the god carefully as he continued to stare through me.

"Please," I implored, eliciting a softer gaze as well as a nod from the man.

My arms wrapped around him as carefully as possible, pulling him into a warm embrace.

"If you try to escape, I'll call for Thor. After, I will surely be punished so please behave," I sighed before transporting us both to my chambers, not allowing him to respond.

I watched the raven haired man cautiously for only a moment before turning and walking to the side room which contained my quite extravagant bathroom. The bath filled with hot water beside me and was nearly full by the time I turned to check on the god. My eyes quickly averted themselves to the floor when I saw that his shirt had already been removed, however; he caught my attention as he approached quietly.

My senses returned to me and allowed me to grab a rag as well as some healing supplies from the cabinet before I turned back towards him. I scanned his torso boldly, taking note of the wounds before returning my gaze to his shoulder. I winced sympathetically before reaching out towards him invitingly. Loki stared down at my hand for a moment before limping forward to take it into his own. A small reassuring smile crossed my features as I tugged him towards my bed, walking slowly as to cause the least pain possible.

"I need to reset your shoulder," I warned, gesturing for him to lay down on the mattress.

"I must say, I did not expect to be invited to your bed in this particular manner," the god grinned, kissing my cheek lightly before laying himself across the mattress face down.

I rolled my eyes before climbing onto the bed and straddling him in order to keep him from moving.

"Try not to move, I'm sorry," I apologized quietly before placing my hands on his back and shoulder gently, preparing to move it back to its proper position.

A hiss left his lips at only slight pressure, making me wince sympathetically before adjusting and forcing the bone back into place with a sickening pop. The god shuddered beneath me but let out only a small groan of pain. I clambered off of him and onto the ground to return to the bathroom where the bath was finally full.

"Loki," I beckoned, shutting the water off and turning around.

The man in question was at my side in only just over an instant despite his injuries, and began removing the rest of his clothes shamelessly. I took in the sight of his lithe yet muscular build for only a moment before turning on my heel to face the wall to allow him to enter the bath in peace.

"Tell me when you are finished," I said, turning only when I was sure he was entirely submerged.

"Wait," he called, his voice echoing just as I began my hasty exit and freezing me in place for a moment.

I looked back at him quizzically, one eyebrow raised.

"What?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"Help me," he responded without hesitation.

 

I stood my ground until the god used his uninjured arm to gesture at his damaged shoulder with fake helplessness.

"Loki," I warned, rolling my eyes at his antics but leaping into action when he let out a shout of pain.

I was at the gods side in an instant, only to realize that he was no more injured than before. A dangerous smirk crossed his face as I let out a sigh of defeat and pulled up a stool to sit beside the tub, my arms returning to their crossed position across my chest as soon as I was seated.


	10. The Fall

That night, Loki spent the night in my chambers. For the first time since Thor was first cast out onto Midgard and Loki found out his true heritage, sleep did not elude me. Instead I slept peacefully for the better part of the night, with the trickster at my side. When we finally woke, it was to a knock on the door. I slid off of the mattress and my heart raced as the cool air of the room washed over me.

 

"Lady Anna, it's just me," Thor called out, nearly inaudible as he attempted to keep his voice down.

 

I glanced back at Loki to see him sitting up, his bright eyes staring into mine searchingly. A sigh left my lips as Thor knocked once again. With an annoyed groan, I opened the door only slightly and pulled the prince in with one sharp tug.

 

"We're leaving now. Get ready quickly and we need to get Loki-" the god's voice trailed off as his gaze scanned my bedroom and fell upon the other visitor.

 

"Already done," I interrupted, snatching clean clothes from my closet and heading towards the bathroom.

 

I shot the princes a pointed look, catching both of their attention and tearing them away from their glaring contest.

 

"Behave yourselves," I warned, eliciting a scoff from the dark haired man on my bed.

 

"Loki," I snapped, causing his eyes to widen in surprise at my tone.

 

Once sure the two were able to keep away from each other's throats in my absence, I rushed into the bathroom and tugged on a pair of pants as well as a thin shirt. After I was sure I was entirely decent, I left the bathroom to retrieve my armor. As soon as the door shut behind me, my armor was hovering in front of me. It was then that the brothers caught my eye, making me roll my eyes in annoyance as I saw Thor's hand wrapped around Loki's throat.

 

Groaning, I channelled enough magic to send my left gauntlet flying at Thor and allowed it to strike his arm hard enough to surprise him as well as cause him to release his grip.

 

"Enough," I spat, "This plan of yours only ends poorly for me so at the very least you could behave yourselves."

 

As the two gods stood down, I was able to slide into my armor in peace. It was when I strapped my bracer into place that a hand grazed my own. My gaze shot up to meet Loki's as he stared at me with a hint of concern in his eyes, and I gave his hand a reassuring squeeze before checking the straps of my bracers for the last time.

 

"Let's go before I think too hard on the misfortune this will bring me," I sighed, taking Loki's arm in one hand and Thor's in the other before heading for the door.

 

"We're taking the ship they crashed into the throne room. Loki will bring us through one of the rifts in Asgard and into Svartalfheim," Thor informed before shoving the door open and heading down the hall.

 

 

Loki and I exchanged a shared look of disbelief before jogging after the elder prince to catch up with him. Despite my doubts regarding our plan, I kept silent as I was sure my worries could bring unwanted attention from nearby guards. When I pulled myself from my thoughts, I saw that Loki was doing a perfectly good job of attracting attention himself as he transformed into Captain America. 

 

"Do you wish me dead?" I hissed, placing a hand over his mouth and pushing him against a pillar before Thor had the chance to.

 

As a small group of guards passed a few yards in front of us, I felt Loki tense and jumped when his arm rested on my shoulder and his eyes filled with unsaid apologies. I shook my head silently and backed away as the guards disappeared, only for my place to be taken by Thor who snapped handcuffs on the trickster. A silent look of disapproval silenced Loki's complaints as we continued on our way to meet up with Jane. As we approached, I saw a look of realization cross her face as she took in the raven haired man's features. My mind reached out briefly and felt her intentions before she ever lifted a finger. As her hand raised to slap him, I caught her wrist and held it tightly in my grasp. 

 

"Don't," I warned, slowly releasing her hand before noticing Loki's smirk.

 

The man's mouth opened as if to release a snarky comment, but I quickly interrupted him.

 

"Not a word," I hissed before backing away and watching silently as Sif threatened the god, warning that he would be dead if he betrayed us.

 

For the rest of our journey to the ship, the halls we chose were fortunately devoid of any guards, however; when we arrived at our destination a small group appeared and attempted to stop us. Volstagg chose to stay behind and hold the guards off, allowing the princes, Jane, and I to board the Elven ship. It was only when Thor began mashing the buttons that I realized just how absolutely screwed I was.

 

"Press it gently," Loki suggested.

 

"I am pressing it gently it's not working!" Thor shouted, pressing every button in sight until we were finally off the ground.

 

A cringe made its way onto my face as our ship crashed into and destroyed most every column in sight. I stood beside Loki and sighed as the two brothers began to argue with each other once again.

 

"Why don't you let me take over? I'm clearly the better pilot," Loki questioned as Thor smashed into yet another building.

 

"Which one of us can actually fly?" Thor retorted, making me roll my eyes in annoyance.

 

"That is not remotely similar, nor does it matter in any way in this situation," I responded icily.

 

"If we are caught, it will not be your head on the line. You would allow Anna to die merely because of your pride? Pathetic!" Loki hissed, visibly tense.

 

When Thor did not respond, I carefully rested my hand on the trickster's bicep in an attempt to hold him in place. We stood for a while longer as Loki fumed, still releasing a witty comment every once in a while and making me laugh softly when he did so. A small smile appeared on his face but it quickly dissipated when the ship was hit yet again by Asgardian weaponry.

 

"Thor. Let me drive," Loki ordered, accentuating every syllable and now visibly shaking with rage.

 

I watched in silence as Loki stalked towards the blonde, who merely smirked at him in response. This only fueled the ravenette's anger, and he would not listen to my protests as Thor opened the door to the ship. The elder prince pushed past his brother and approached me calmly. My hands went to my scimitars but I was too late. By the time I was close to having them drawn I was falling from the ship and towards the water at a terrifying speed.

 

I shouted obscenities at Thor but they were drowned out by the wind rushing by as I fell. When I was able to flip around and look back up, I noticed Loki diving after me looking panicked, rightfully so. When the thought that he may have jumped hit me, I screamed at him disapprovingly.

 

"You can't fly, now we're both going to be incapacitated," I yelled over the wind, just as he wrapped his arms around me and sent us spinning around so that he was under me.

 

My breath caught in my throat as he held me so tightly my ribs felt as though they would not take the pressure. As the water approached us, I shook my head at the god in annoyance and closed my eyes for a moment to gather my thoughts. It would seem that when going at this speed my mind found it hard to keep up. 

 

"I won't let you take the fall for me," I shouted, flipping us around a few yards above the water and using my magic to keep us in that position.

 

A look of horror crossed Loki's face as I felt as though we were close to having a crippling landing, but instead of water being my cushion, I instead fell onto something hard and metal. My head spun as my brain attempted to make sense of my surroundings. The familiar face of Fandral elicited a small chuckle from me, but when Thor landed on the ship with Jane in his arms I staggered up and glared at him.

 

"I see your time in the dungeons have made you no less graceful Loki," Fandral chuckled, "And even now you let your woman suffer in your place. What sort-"

 

My heated gaze quickly turned to him as Loki struggled to his feet, the cuffs making it more of a challenge than usual.

 

"You, shut it. And you!" I hissed, turning back to Thor in rage, "You pushed me."

 

The two men in question remained in silence, and Loki still chose to stare blankly at Fandral after the blonde's low comment.

 

"You carried her down but could not manage to not be an ass for more than a minute?" I huffed, gesturing at Jane in annoyance.

 

"She's human-"

 

"Just because it wouldn't have killed me doesn't mean it didn't hurt. I'm risking everything for you and your mortal and what I get in return is a damaged back. How kind, princeling," I interrupted, stalking towards Fandral and scaring him away from the controls before turning to Loki.

 

"Loki just get us out of here," I ordered, breaking him from his trance and bringing a maniacal grin to his lips.

 

"Of course, darling."

 

 

A/n: If there is to be a lemon, it will be later in the story. Let me know if you guys want one or if you would like it to remain at just fluff.


	11. Our Destination

"Ta-da!" Loki announced as our ship passed through what seemed to be a mountain and crashed onto Svartalfheim.

 

It took a few seconds, but the god of mischief managed to regain control over the ship and steady it. A soft sigh fell from my lips as Jane slept peacefully, and the brothers exchanged anger filled stares beside me. The thick air of the realm filled my lungs until they were nearly as heavy as my heart. Ruins of ships were scattered across the realm's surface: a memorial of only one of many bloody wars Asgard had been involved in.

 

"What I could do with the power that flows through those veins," Loki noted, purposefully prodding at his brother's pressure point.

 

"It would consume you," Thor replied, eyeing him cautiously.

 

"She's holding up alright, for now," Loki smirked, making me smack him on the shoulder lightly before bending down to whisper in his ear.

 

"There is no need to provoke him," I warned, placing a hand on his shoulder to hold him in place.

 

"She's strong in ways you'd never even know," Thor continued, causing me to sigh in exasperation as I knew that Loki would not hold his tongue and unfortunately, I was correct.

 

"Say goodbye."

 

"Not this day," Thor mused, staring off the side of the boat towards the ruins surrounding us.

 

"This day, the next, a hundred years, it's nothing. It's a heartbeat. You'll never be ready, and the only woman who's love you prize will be snatched from you-"

 

"Loki," I warned, shooting him a glare.

 

"And will that satisfy you?" Thor questioned, his voice raised and his gaze fixed upon his brother.

 

"Satisfaction's not in my nature."

 

"Surrender's not in mine," the blonde retorted.

 

"The son of Odin-"

 

"No not just of Odin. You think you alone loved mother? You had her tricks but I had her trust."

 

"Thor, don't," I said shakily, taking a step back of the angered siblings as their tempers burned brightly.

 

Loki's eyes flitted over to me for a moment before returning to their position on the god of thunder.

 

"Trust," Loki spat, "Was that her last expression? Trust? When you let her die?!"

 

"What help were you in your cell?"

 

"Who put me there?" Loki seethed, "Who put me there?"

 

"You know damn well!" Thor shouted, grabbing his collar and slamming him against the side of the boat roughly.

 

"You know damn well," he repeated as I rested a shaky hand on his shoulder in an attempt to soothe him.

 

The god only shot me a warning glance and tensed under my touch, causing Loki to warn me away with only a quick flick of his bright eyes. I huffed and rolled my eyes before glaring at the two men scornfully.

 

"Boys," I ordered, pulling Thor away from Loki to stand between them

 

"You two are acting like children," I scolded, shifting my gaze between the two of them and lowering into a ready position in case one of their tempers flared.

 

The air around us was heavy with silence, the thick atmosphere only exaggerating it as the two brothers glared daggers.

 

"She wouldn't want us to fight," Thor said finally, his deep voice piercing the still air.

 

"Well she wouldn't exactly be shocked," Loki mused, hands slightly raised in surrender and gaze locked on my shivering form.

My defensive stance lowered, but I stayed between the two as the blonde took a step forward.

 

"I wish I could trust you," he sighed before turning and walking a few paces away.

 

His words struck a nerve in my body as I found myself wishing the same. If nothing else, I hoped to trust the god of mischief however naive it seemed. My train of thought was interrupted as Loki stood up straight and took a few steps forward, his body tense and eyes wild.

 

"Trust my rage."

 

I lowered my head in defeat and made my way to the end of the boat, my movements slow and stiff. A shiver raced down my spine as the consequences of my actions came to mind. For me, there was no way out. There would be no escape whether we died to the elves or made it back to Asgard. Either way, my fate would be the same.   
"You know," I began tiredly as I lowered myself into a sitting position on the edge, "I'm going to die soon, at the very least you two could try not to fill my final day with your petty bickering."

 

Loki's expression darkened as he turned towards me before beckoning me over stiffly while Thor stared like a deer in the headlights of an oncoming vehicle. I merely crossed my arms and shook my head childishly, but the pleading look I received from Loki had me on my feet and beside him quickly. The god removed his hands from the ship to press his body against mine gently so that his breath hit my ear, his movement limited by the cuffs restraining his wrists.

 

"No harm will come to you," he hissed, his breath sending shivers down my spine.

 

"Loki," I said sadly, raising my hand to his cheek, "You have to be prepared-"

 

"No!" he snapped, jerking away from my touch with determination dripping from his words.

 

I let out a quiet sigh before planting a gentle kiss on his cheek forlornly as Jane stood up and stared into the distance. The god's skin was cold against my lips, but the familiarity was calming. The hand closest to Loki found its way into his hair absentmindedly as we watched a large ship descend just over the hill ahead of us. My heartbeat quickened exponentially as soon as my feet hit the dirt, but I managed to shoot Jane one reassuring smile as we approached what could easily be our final destination.


End file.
